Tourist visa and flight return date

Hello merkah,

Sorry for the delay in responding to your question, your posting just slipped my attention.

You will need a return flight booking for the 90 day period of your initial stay, so you should purchase a ticket that allows modifications without too great of an extra charge. As far as I know the Policia Federal won't even accept an open-ended return ticket, it must specify a date for departure. To answer your other question, NO the Consulado-Geral do Brasil in the USA will not authorize and extended stay, that is the jurisdiction of the Polícia Federal here in Brazil.

There is possibly a cheaper alternative if you have a visa for one of the neighboring Latin-American countries or are entitled to enter without a visa, using your passport alone. They don't require that your departing flight be back to your point of origin... just that you leave BRAZIL. So you could buy a "throw away" ticket (air or bus) to Argentina for example for 90 days from your proposed entry date to Brazil, this would be ok if you were certain of getting the extension from the Federal Police. This is usually done without any hassles so you're not really risking losing your return flight to home in any big way.

Cheers,
William James Woodward - Brazil & Canada Expert, Expat-blog Team

Cheers,
William James Woodward - Brazil & Canada Expert, Expat-blog Team

Thank you William

You have almost answered a question I would have posted.  I have now been back the GRU 3 times and waited over about 3 hours plus minus each time and got the names of people and phone no. (just rings).  Nobody speaks English at the Foreign desk at the Federal Police.  All I want is my passport stamped.  I have a ticket out of here on the 15th Dec, I arrived with my British Passport, but could I just go over to lets say next door and come back in with my SA passport.  I have a letter from my employer giving me the job, but they wanted me here asap so did not have the time to go down to London (was in Oxford) to get everything sorted, plus it was the weekend.  Oh and I have been trying to contact the SA Consulate in SP, but typical Saffies, nobody answers and then I get that this is an incorrect no.?????  Help before I get chucked into the sea and quite frankly I do not want to go back to Europe, would rather spend Xmas in SA believe it or not.

On another point, is there anybody out there that will help me find out about Jazz/Cuban/Salza music festivals.  One of my best friends, Sophia Nelson, she is on You Tube, would like to come here and perform.  She is based in Paris.  Will bring her band with her or alternative she is willing to work with a local group.

Your help would be appreciated.

melissa